Closure fastener



May 15, 17934. w. H WRYE CLOSURE FASTENER Filed Nov. 9, 1931 3Sheets-Sheet l ill l Il May 15, 1934. w. H. wRYE 1,958,652

CLOSURE FASTENER Filed Nov. 9, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 15, 1934. w. H.wRYE CLOSURE FASTENER Filed Nov. 9, 1931 3 `Sheets-Sheva 3 Patented May15, 1934 UNITEDy STATES PATENT.k OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved closure -fastener means havingitswidest field of use in connection with paper receptacles, particularlythose of the envelope type.

An object of the invention is lthe provision of a novel closure fastenermeans including a locking tongue having relatively movable portionsadapted to be placed in registry for interlocking engagement with akeeper.

Another object is the provision in a closure fastener of a novel lockingtongue including overlapping offset sections adapted to be moved intoregistry for locking engagement with a keeper.

A further object is the provision in a closure fastener of a co-actingarrangement of keeper and locking tongue whereby the tongue is causedautomatically to function through its engagement with the keeper. Otherobjects include novel keeper means and arrangements for mounting thesame on receptacles to which the invention is applied.

The present disclosure illustrates certain physical embodiments of theprinciples of this invention and constitutes the best means thus fardevised for reducing the invention to practice. It is understood thatthe structural details of the disclosure shall not constitutelimitations inconsistent with the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective of an envelope having a closure fastenerthereon as constructed in accordance with the invention and illustratingthe fastener as in locked position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged face view of a fastener as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a face view of the fastener means of Figures 1 and 2, butillustrating the locking tongue as eXed in the act of engagement with akeeper prior to interlocking therewith.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a perspective of the locking tongue employed as an elementof the fastener.

Figure '7 is a plan view of the blank from which the locking tongue isconstructed.

Figure 8 is a perspective of the keeper means as shown in Figures 1 to4.

Figure 9 is a face view of the rear of an envelope equipped with analternative form of closure fastener. -v Y Figure 10 is a section on theline 10-10 of Figure 9. Y

Figure 11 is a face view of the Wall portion of an envelope having analternative form of` keeper means secured thereon.

Figure 12 is a section on the line 12--12 of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a face view of an envelope wall having a furtheralternative structural arrangement of keeper means associated therewith.

Figure 14 is a section on the line 14-14 of Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a face view of an envelope wall A having a still furtherembodiment of keeper means associated therewith.

Figure 16 is a section on the line 16-16 of Figure 15. Y

Figure 17 is a perspective of the keeper means illustrated in Figure 15.

Figure 18 is a face view of an envelope wall having another structuralembodiment of keeper means associated therewith.

Figure 19 is a section on the line 1919 of Figure 18. Y f

Figure 20 is a rear face View of an envelope and closure iiap having afurther alternative embodiment of closure fastener wherein the action ofthe locking tongue is automatic with respect to the keeper means.

Figure 21 is a section on line 21a-21 of Figure 20.

Figure 22 is a perspective of one of the keeper elements as used in theconstruction illustrated in Figure 20.

In the present disclosure my improved closure fastener means isillustrated as employed in connection With paper or cardboardreceptacles of the envelope type which generally, as shown in Figure l,include a back wall portion 25 and a closure flap portion 26 foldabledownwardly thereover from the upper edge of the front wall in theconventional manner. In all embodiments of the invention the fastenermeans includes a keeper arranged on the rear wall of the enve- 'lateralears 28 are provided, which ears are adapted to be passed through slitsformed for the rpurpose in the rear wall 25 of the envelope. Engagementthrough the slits in the envelope Wall sito 'fico portion effectivelysecures the keeper strip in position and a light application of somesuitable cementing material or glue may be employed to hold the parts inplace. At suitably spaced intervals the body of the keeper is providedWith transversely disposed slots 29 adapted to receive therethrough thelocking tongue means about to be described.

The locking tongue is preferably formed by cutting from a blank `ofmaterial yof Asome measure of flexibility coupled with a slight inherentresiliency. One such material is heavy paper `o`r cardboard stock. Asshown in Figure 7 a blank `is cut to provide a substantiallyrectangularwcentral portion 30 from which extend oppositely directedtongues 31 and 32 arranged in o iwset relation with respect to thelongitudinalY meridian of the blank having at their outer endsgho'oks33"'f`and 34 which 'are oppositely directed with respect to eachother.The outer terminal faces of the hooked'hea'ds '33 and 3 4 areprovidedwith the respectiver rounded edges and 36 and between the heads and thecentral portion 30the opposite side edges of each tongue section 31 and32 are arranged as inclinedY edges' converging toward the heads. Informing the tongue the blank is bent upon itself at its central portionalong the line of fold, as shown by the dottedline in Figure '7. Theoffsetgarrangement of the tongue sections 3l and'32 disposes thesegeleinents normally disaligned vwith `respect to each other and one ofthe sections such as 31 is slightly greater in length than the Aother sovthat whenthe sections areiolded into Aoverlapping relationship theheads 33 and 34 are arranged in staggered relation, asbest illustrated'in Figure 6. Y Y f ,'Iheutongueiis secured to the receptacle closureflap portion by passing the'overlapped tongue sections through a slotprovided for the purpose inthe closure flap in' such manner that the-folded central portion 30 of the tongue is disposed against the inner 1ace of the closure 'flap towhich it maybe secured by lcement or-glue.yThe width 'of the ,closure flap slot through which the over-',lappedutongue sections are passed is no greater "than 'the width ofthe tongue sections at their bases and accordingly the'width of the slotis `not 'as great as the width of the folded central por- 'tion 30 vofvthe tongue element. This arrangement serves toanchor the tongue withrespect to the closure flap. Y

As shown inmFigures 3 and 4 the locking lfunction of the*closurefastener is'accomplished by flexing the overlapping tonguesections 31 and H32 intoA an arched position as shownbest in Fig- ;ure4, while atthe same time the tongue sections y'arfjmoved laterally undermanual compression to bring the heads 33 and 34 into registry so -that,they maybeinserted withinthe selected' one of 'the keeperl slots 29. YThe rounded entrant edges of the tongue section heads permit a readyentry of the tongues through the selectedslot beneath Y the body ofthe-keeper and as -the length of the slots 29 isV onlyvslightlygreaterthan the'width ofthe tongue section/heads when in registry, it willbeapparentthat when the heads-of the locking tonguey sectionshave passedthrough the keep'- 1 er'slot thelkheads will ymove laterally in`opposite Vdirectionsupon,arelease of the manual compressionvundertheinherent resilient ofthe -matetrial from which'the tongueisformed whereby to disposethe respective'heads 33 and' 34 intointer-V,locking engagement withthe keeper as shownv in Figure 2.K4 When arelease ofA the. lockingy engagement is desired it'is'merely necessaryto--move the tongue sections inwardly with respect to each other undermanual compression to bring the heads again into registry whereupon theymay be removed from engagement with the keeper.

In the structural embodiment of closure fastener shown in Figures 9 and10 structural details of the locking tongue areV the same as thosepreviously described except that the length of the two tongue sectionsis equal. Accordingly, the same reference characters are given to theseparts in Figures 9 and 10. A structural differ- "e'nc'e resides in theparticular arrangement of the keeper which in this form consists merelyof a single rectangular strip 37 anchored to the #rearlwallfof thereceptacle 25 by passing the ends of the strip inwardly through spacedparallel slots provided for the purpose in the receptacle wall. Thefwidthiofthe keeper thus formed on 'the back of the receptacle coincideswith the distance'btween the parallel slots in the rear wall, whichdistance is less than the vwidth of ythe tpngueheads when-in Anormaldisaligned position.

The Aeffective widthv of 'the keeper corresponds substantially to thewidthpi one head-of Ythe locking tongue sections. VThe-manner oiapply--ing and releasing the'fastener -is the-sameras that described inconnection with-fthe for-mhshown in Figures 1 to 8 inclusive.

In Figures 11 and 121there is yillustrated an alternative arrangementofLkeeper wherein an elongated keeper strip38 is disposed on the inner-face-ofthe receptacle 'wall; .portion25 and .is-.pro-

vided vwith tabsY 39-at itsopposi-te ends, which tabs extendthrough-slots lprovided for the purpose/inY the wall. The keeper stripis rprovided with paralleli-spaced tongue receiving =slots .40

which-register with similar slots 41 provided in the `wallportions. Thisformci keeperisdesig-ned to Y- accommodate the fastener to receptacleswherein expansionis desired.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 13 and 14--an elongatedrectangular vkeeper strip 42 vhas its lmajor portion-disposed' on i theouter` face of the receptacle Wall 'portion 25 andfhas-.its

Y opposite endfportionsnpassed inwardly through siots 'provided forY thepurposeyin :the-wall .por-

tion. The-keeper vis providedwithspacedtongue receiving slots 43 and isfurtherprovided` at -its opposite side edges with lateral `tabs44:-inline with each-pf the slotsf43 and.- passed-through slotsprovidedfor the vpurpose in the Vwall'portion In the embodiment shown in Figures-1-5i l16"l and 17- an` elongated rectangular-keeper `strip 45 is passedbeneath webs 46 which-fareiormed on the -to-dispose-lthe majorportion-thereof onnthe outer face Iof/the wall. At 'one end thekeeperstrip is provided with alaterally enlarged head` tudinally spaced-tabsV:50V extending fromv :the

opposite side'ledges andpassed through securing slots provided for thepurpose in the Wall-portion 25. At 'each' 'endf ofthe band A9-theterminal portions are passed inwardly throughfisecuring fr slotsprovided `'-theref or -f in:1 the ffreceptacle; Y Wall.

l yenvelope-wallportion 25 by appropriatelyplaced Vslotsth-rough whichthe vkeeper-strip is threaded As in the other forms the body of thekeeper is provided with a plurality of spaced parallel tongue receivingslots 51.

'I'he closure fastener means illustrated in Figures 20, 21 and 22employs a tongue construction identical with that illustrated in Figures1 to 7 inclusive and like reference characters have been given to likeparts. However, in this embodiment the keeper consists of a plurality ofspaced parallel bands 52 arranged with their end terminal portions 53passed through diagonally converging slots provided for the purpose inthe rear wall 25 of the receptacle. The central portions of the bands 52are bulged outwardly to provide raised keeper bars 54 formed with endwalls disposed in the planes of the slots through which the ends 53 ofthe bands are passed. This construction provides at each keeper band asocket provided with wall portions which converge in the entrantdirection of the tongue means. The greatest width of the socket wallssubstantially equals the width of the tongue section heads when innormal oifset position and the minimum width of the socket walls equalssubstantially the width of one head so that as the tongue sections arepushed beneath the keeper bands the converging walls of the sockets willmove the overlapping heads automatically into registry to permit passageof the tongue. In disengaging the tongue the uppermost tongue section ismoved laterally to register its head with the socket whereupon it may bewithdrawn. The lowermost tongue section is then moved in like manner andwithdrawn.

In each instance of the keeper strips and bands it is to be understoodthat in addition to the securing action of the tabs and ears which passthrough the slots in the receptacle walls, a suitable adhesive isapplied to all engaging areas of the keeper strips and receptacle wall.The keeper strips and bands are formed of suitably heavy or simi-rigidmaterial so that an effective reinforcement is provided for thereceptacle wall over all that portion occupied by the keeper. In thismanner tearing strain of the tongue sections is eliminated.

I claim:

1. Closure fastener means comprising a keeper, and a tongue consistingof offset normally overlapped sections mutually slidable intosuperimposed registry for locking engagement therewith.

2. In a closure fastener a locking tongue comprising a one-piece stripof material doubled upon itself to provide normally overlapping sectionsoffset with respect to each other.

3. In a closure fastener a tongue comprising a strip of flexiblematerial doubled upon itself to form offset normally overlapped sectionsand oppositely directed locking heads on the ends of said sections.

4. Closure fastener means comprising a keeper, a locking tongue,normally overlapped heads on said tongue and normally offset withrespect to each other, and said heads being mutually movable intoregistry to engage said keeper.

5. In a closure fastener, a keeper, and a locking tongue engageabletherewith, said tongue having normally overlapped superimposed resilientsections normally offset with respect to each other and compressibleinto registry to engage the keeper.

6. In a closure fastener, the combination with a keeper, of a tongueadapted for engagement therewith and including normally overlyingsuperimposed offset sections, locking heads on the ends of saidsections, and means on the keeper for moving said sections automaticallyinto registry on engagement therewith.

7. In a closure fastener a tongue comprising a strip of flexiblematerial doubled upon itself to form overlapped offset sections, theends of said sections being provided with oppositely directed lockingheads, and the lengths of said sections being such that one of the headsis disposed slightly in advance of the other.

WILLIAM H. WRYE.

